PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island General Assembly has passed a resolution in honor of a Burrillville woman who died last year following decades of service to her community.
Introduced by Reps. David Place of District 47 and Rep. Brian Newberry of District 48, H5065 extended condolences to family and friends of the late Nancy Binns.
Binns, a fifth generation Burrillville resident, died on Tuesday, July 5 at the age of 75.
The resolution cites Binns’ long list of achievements following graduation from Burrillville High School, and later, Smith College. Binns returned to school at Yale University, where she became one of the first to graduate with a physician assistant degree. She subsequently worked at Fogarty Memorial Hospital and two local medical practices, retiring after many years.
Binns served on the Burrillville council for 12 years, including eight as council president, and during her tenure she served as a member or liaison to the Downtown Pascoag Neighborhood Association; the Zoning Board; the Ordinance Subcommittee; the School Committee; the Senior Center Feasibility Study Committee; the Administrative Audit Committee and the Sewer Commission.
“During her tenure on the council she was acclaimed for her efforts on the renovation of the Jesse Smith Library, the Levy Rink, the Callahan School, upgrades to the Burrillville Police Station, the Pascoag Grammar redevelopment and the creation of a new school administration building,” the citation states. “She was also a leader in the development of numerous additional projects benefitting the town and for spearheading the town’s marriage equality resolution.”
It is not the first honor for the late Burrillville councilor, whose lifetime of service also included numerous public recognitions. In October, members of the Burrillville Town Council renamed Berard Desjarlais American Legion Post 88’s Chapel Street headquarters the, “George and Nancy F. Binns Building,” expanding an honor conferred decades ago to her father, the late George Binns.
“Over the years, Ms. Binns earned the respect of just about everyone she worked with and was honored with myriad awards and citations,” the resolution states. “Nancy Binns was a person of the highest character and integrity who dedicated her life to helping others and she will be dearly missed.”
A certified copy of the resolution was sent to Binns’ daughter, Kelly Hunt; her friend Kathy Leveille; and her goddaughter, Anna Collins.
